Recent Projects

ST. LUKES'S CHURCH

Smithfield, VA, 2011

The Newport Parish Church, long known as the “Old Brick Church,” and now more commonly as St. Luke’s, is among the oldest surviving ecclesiastical buildings in Virginia. Although longstanding tradition held that it was built as early as 1632, a recent dendrochronology study, in conjunction with a close reading of the documentary and architectural evidence, suggests that the original structure most likely dates to the early 1680s. With its distinctive tower and Gothic detailing, St. Luke’s served as the principal church of Isle of Wight County’s Newport (or Lower) Parish until 1832, when it was replaced by Christ Church in Smithfield and subsequently was abandoned.

JRIA was contracted by the Bucher/Borges Group, an architectural and consulting firm, to conduct archaeological testing at St. Luke’s Church in Smithfield, Virginia, to meet archaeological requirements for a preservation project partially funded by a Saving America’s Treasure’s grant. The archaeological testing also fulfilled the conditions of a Virginia Department of Historic Resources easement on the property.

BUCKLAND MILL AND DISTILLERY

Prince William County, VA, 2011

The JRIA-DATA team is currently completing an intensive documentary and archaeological investigation of several key components of the Buckland town site and adjoining mill property. The testing has consisted of the excavation of close-interval shovel tests and test units on historic town lots 28 and 29, site identification on the mill tract, documentation of the nineteenth-century woolen mill, and GIS mapping of the historic mill race. The project was conducted on behalf of the Buckland Preservation Society.

OLD POINT NATIONAL BANK

Hampton, VA, 2010

JRIA worked with Old Point National Bank to conduct archaeological data recovery of the future bank headquarters site in downtown Hampton. The excavation has revealed evidence of seventeenth-century occupation that predates the establishment of the town, as well as an intact brick cellar of a dwelling and other features associated with the eighteenth-century ownership of Revolutionary War naval hero James Barron, Commodore of the Virginia State Navy. JRIA is working with the Hampton History Museum to develop an interpretive exhibit based on the findings.

The project has been featured in a number of articles and television broadcasts:

CENTRE HILL DRAINAGE PROJECT

Petersburg, VA, 2009-2011

In 2009 JRIA completed an archaeological investigation at the Centre Hill Mansion property on behalf of the City of Petersburg. The goal of the project was to evaluate the potential impact of the excavation of drainage trenches in the vicinity of the historic house. JRIA conducted extensive documentary research and archaeological excavations that revealed the presence of a nineteenth-century office outbuilding and other significant features that will be avoided by the proposed drainage project. JRIA subsequently monitored the drainage trench excavation in April 2011, which revealed evidence of a buried nineteenth-century drainage system, and extensive historic landscaping in the east yard.

ROTHERWOOD PLANTATION

Southampton County, VA, 2010-2011

JRIA conducted a comprehensive historical, archaeological, and architectural analysis of the nineteenth-century Rotherwood plantation in Southampton County, including the main house site and extensive slave quarter area. The project was conducted on behalf of the property owner, Mr. Darden W. Jones, Jr.